Escapementlike clutch



June 11, 1940. 1 wlGGS 2,203,805

' I ESCAPEMENTLIKE CLUTCH Filed June 20, 1939 2 sheets-$11881 1 Attorneys ESCAPEMENTLIKE CLUTCH Filed June 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Patented June 11, 1940 v a Lawrence E. Wiggs, Worth Township,

Woodford County, Ill.

Application June 20, 1939, Serial No. 280,176

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an escapementlikel clutch, the general object of the invention being ,to make the device of four primary parts, the

. driver, the driven member. the escapement and the escapement control, the escapement being accompanied by a rationing of the driving force tothe clutching actionthrough a leverage action, by changing the angles. of the applied force of the driver and the reactionary force of the m driven member to the escapement.

' This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accomu panying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings where in like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which i Figure 1 is an elevation of the invention. Figure 2 is a view with the cover plate removed and parts shown in section. 2 Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device.

Figure 4 is an end view.

Figure 5 is a view of one of the rings or roller retainers. o Figure 6 is a view illustrating the operation of the device. Figure '7 is a view of one of the rollers. .F'igure 8 is a detail sectional View showin how a springring engages a ring or retainer and an adjacent part of the housing or casing.

Figure, 9 is a perspective view of one of the rings. i i

In these drawings, the numeral I indicates a housing provided with a cover 2 at one end thereof which is fastened tothe housing by the screws 3 and the dowel pins 4 and within the housingand its cover are the bushings 5 and 6 and contact screws 1 pass through threaded holes in the cylindrical part of the housing and project in the interior space of the housing. These parts constitute the driver. A shaft 8 extends through the bushing 6 of the cover 2 and has its inner end 8' fitting in the bushing 5. The shaft is provided with an enlarged pore 5 tion having the rounded projections 9 on its circumference which are separated by rounded recesses. This shaft and its enlargement form the driven member. A plurality of rollers l have their pintles ll held in radiating slots l2 n in the retainer rings l3 and each ring has a hole l4 therein for receiving the bent end of a split ring 15, the other bent end of which fits in a hole in either the housing I or its cover 2, these rings l3 being of spring metal and these parts, that is, the rollers with their retainersand the spring rings l form the escapement and the control would be the adjustment of the contact screws '1. i

The housing is provided with a shank 20 for connecting it to a motor or other source of 10 power. The rollers are of hardened and polished steel to prevent excessive wear and the enlarged part of the shaft 8 forms a sprocket. The slots l2 allow the rollers to move inwardly and outwardly in a radial direction from the sprocket and the springs l5 form a firm contact between the rollers and contact screws.

To illustrate the action, assume that power is applied to the. driver causing it to rotate in direction of arrow at A (Figure 6) and that the m driven shaftis held so that it cannot turn, and that the contact screw 1 be adjusted so that its line of force in relation to roller'is B. The counter force of the driven shaft is C. The resultant force is D which forces roller outward u and forward and as the escapement unit is free to turn about shaft and inside of housing it has an oscillating movement asthe rollers pass around the sprocket projections.

Now if the contact screw be adjusted outward m to where its line of force in relation to roller is E which is 180 to counter force of the driven shaft there can be no escapement.

The ratio of the clutching action varies from zero at F to a dead look at E. 5

The device can be used in various ways and with different mechanisms. For instance, a handle could be connected with the housing and the driven shaft have a partattached thereto to fit a nut or screw head and this would produce a 40 ratchet type wrench that could be used for tightening bolts or nuts to a given torque. A sprocket projection could be added to the shaft without increasing the number of rollers and thus cause each roller to oscillate independent of the others to provide a more uniform clutching action. Also, means could be provided for adjusting the contact screws 1 simultaneously which would be desirable in the application of the invention to such mechanisms as an automobile driving clutch or brake.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent. a

It is to be understood that changes may be invention, what is the sprocket, ring retainers having radiating slots therein receiving end portions of the rollers, spring means for connecting the retainers to the casing and projections'carried by the casing v and extending into the same for engaging the 7 rollers, and means for adjusting the projections inwardly and outwardly.

2. A device of the class described comprising a housing having a shank at one end thereof, a

shaft extending into the housing through the opposite end, means rotatably supporting the shaft in the housing and said shaft having a sprocket thereon within the housing, rollers engaging the sprocket, ring members carrying the rollers and permitting limited radial movement of the rollers andmeans for yieldingly connecting the ring members to the interior parts of the housing and adjustable members carried by the housing and having their inner ends rounded and extending between the rollers.

LAWRENCE E. WIGGS. 

